BJP stages stir against vandalism of Nandi idol in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh

BJP activists demand swift action in the incident

Activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) staged a demonstration in front of the Prakasam Bhavan here on Wednesday in protest against desecration of a 10th century idol of Nandikeswara at the Siva temple at Kanaparthi village, near N.G. Padu, in Prakasam district.

Leading the protest, BJP district president S. Srinivasulu demanded that the police nab miscreants and take stern action against them and book cases under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act. The miscreants are yet to be identified. Tense situation prevailed at the Church Centre for a while as the irate activists tried to gatecrash into the Collectorate. The activists, who came in a big procession, raised slogans against the Jagan Mohan Reddy government and pressed for stepping up of security at all places of worship. Sensing trouble, the police personnel closed the Collectorate main gate even as the activists had heated arguments with Ongole Deputy Superintendent of Police U. Nagaraju for not visiting the heritage site and speeding up probe into the incident.

BJP State Secretary Meena Kumari alleged that attack on Hindu temples was on the rise during the YSR Congress Party regime, adding that the government had reportedly diverted earnings of places of worship for other purposes. The leader said that the CCTVs installed at the temple were found to be dysfunctional.

Security should be beefed up at the onsite museum of the Andhra Pradesh Archaeology and Museums Department as it had artefacts throwing light on Andhra people’s culture for centuries, they said. A delegation of party leaders later submitted a memorandum to District Collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar who promised to take swift action.